Time to Tell Franny
by papillonrose22
Summary: Cornleius can't keep the secret any longer! He must tell Franny what happened before they become engaged.
1. Chapter 1

Carl walks in and sees Cornelius slumped over at his desk.

"What's up Cornelius?"

"I'm going to see Franny tonight."

"Oh that's nice!... why do u sound upset?"

"Cuz I'm gonna tell her."

"Tell her... what?" Carl said suspiciously.

"About Wilbur."

"What about him?"

"I'm going to tell her everything Carl!"

"What?! Why would you do that?!"

"Because I love her!"

"Of course you do, after all you are going to marry her eventually. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"I can't, in good conscious, ask her to marry me if she doesn't know me. Ever since we started dating I have felt that I have this unfair advantage over her. She needs to know."

"You haven't even told your parents yet! What makes this any different?"

"This is Fran we're talking about Carl. She IS different. She's Franny. I can't lie to her."

"Well have you at least considered the time travel effects this could have?"

"Why do you think I'm stressing out about this? Just because there is a timeline out there of me marrying her, there was also a timeline where hats took over the world! Nothing is set in stone. Every move I make with Franny could completely alter the future! What if telling her, changes the way she reacts to 12 year old me showing up at our house in the future. I mean if I tell her everything then she would be expecting it, right? But she had no idea that I was her husband from the past. and if she expects me, then what? The event I experienced would be completely altered which could end with Doris taking over again!"

"So don't tell her!"

Cornelius thought for a mear moment and shook his head.

"She deserves to know the truth. I'll figure out a way to tell her."

* * *

Author's Note: I know this chapter was really short. The next one will be longer.


	2. Chapter 2

Cornelius walked up the stairs to Franny's apartment. He could hear her music as clear as ever. He smiled slightly, Fran's music always made him happy. The sweet moment passed quickly as he focused on his mission at hand. He took a confident step forward and knocked on her door. The music stopped instantly. The door opened not long after showing an overly excited Franny (can it be overly excited if she is always that energetic?)

"Come, come! You're just in time!" she said grabbing his arm and yanking him in.

She closed the door and pushed him into her music room.

"Look look look!" She said quickly biting her lip. She rushed over to her ipod to turn on some faint classical music, then she grabbed her Baton (conductor stick) and started conducting a few frogs standing on a mini long table. A couple of the frogs started playing on their tiny violins and pianos while others just sat there looking around. After 5 to 10 seconds Franny put down her baton and turned off the music.

"Did you see that! Frankie was _actually_ following with the music this time! And these wittle fewwus were doing their best! I mean they have a long way to go but-" she sighed in excitement and before she could continue she was cut off by a not so excited sounding Cornelius,

"Yes that's great Fran."

She sensed his tone and immediately became suspicious. She crossed her arms and gave him a look to start telling her what's going on as she said,

" _That_ was a scientific breakthrough and _you're_ not excited about it? Ok, what's wrong?" putting her hands on her hips

"Nothing-"

"Ah ah ah! Don't think you can lie to me mister! You know it doesn't work. So tell me what's the matter."

"I need to tell you something"

"Sounds serious. Is everything ok? Did something happen with your parents? Are you sick? Did-"

"No no! Everyone's fine! Everything's fine. I just need to tell you about something and I think we should sit down."

Franny agreed and the two went to sit at her small dining room table.

"What's going on?" she asked sincerely

"gosh I- I don't even know where to start uh... when I was younger... I was approached by this boy who said he was from the future, I thought he was crazy until he showed me this time machine and took me to see the future."

"What?!" she said shocked and maybe a bit in disbelief but he couldn't tell.

"I know it sounds crazy-"

"Crazy? Really Cornelius? I teach frogs to sing do you honestly think by now I find anything crazy" she said

"Y-you seemed surprised."

"I am surprised. Surprised you didn't tell me sooner! This is incredible! You're telling me you've known for years that time travel is possible and yet you stand around making robots and helping me make frogs sing? Why havent you started making a time machine?"

"Because I know I don't start making time machines... until my son is 8 years old."

"Your son?" she said suddenly more serious.

"My son in the future. I don't have any kids yet Fran don't worry."

"How do you know you have a son in the future?"

"That boy showed me _my_ future... that boy was my son... will be my son."

"What does this have to do with me?" she asked but already was guessing the answer.

"Our son Fran. That kid will be our son."

He waited for a response. She just stared at him slightly confused and maybe a little scared. An expression he's never seen her have before.

"I found out that... in the future... I marry a beautiful woman who teaches frogs to sing... named Franny."

Such a long pause of silence that ate away at Cornelius.

 _Just say something!_

He thought. But she just stared at him for what felt like eternity. After a while he couldn't take it anymore.

"Fran?" she didnt answer.

"Fran?" he said again, she finally snapped out of her gaze.

"Yes?" she said as if to ask him to keep explaining himself.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"I just need time to process this for a minute." she seemed stress. perhaps angry or simply overwhelmed.

"It is true. Every word of it." he said calmly.

"I believe you. Of _course_ I believe you. B-but why are you telling me this?" she said getting more agitated.

"I thought you deserved to know."

"How long ago did this happen?" she said slightly calmer.

"I found out when I was twelve. It happened at the science fair when my memory scanner blew up."

"You knew this WHOLE TIME?!"

"Yes but-"

"So the DAY we met you knew we were going to end up together?"

"Well ya but-"

"So you only bothered to talk to 'froggy franny' because you knew you'd marry me someday? 'Oh might as well start the pity party now if i'm gonna marry her!'"

"Fran stop! I don't know for _sure_ if it's going to happen. Nothing is certain."

"What are you talking about?"

"Things could still change. We might _not_ be together. I just happened to witness a timeline when we did get married but anything could change. You have no idea how many times I might have lost you."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't want to push it! Every question I asked everything I told you everything I did around you could have driven you away! If I told you this sooner we may never have been together at all."

"Then why tell me at all? If it's so important for you to be with me." she said sounding offended. As if he had been tricking her this whole time.

"Because I... I love you Fran."

"No! Don't go putting that on me after this time travel thing. How am I supposed to know if you love me for me or if you only love me because you're supposed to?"

"It's not like I've forced our relationship! I was 12 when I found out we would be married. It's not like I was eager to get in a relationship!"

"So what you waited until I was attractive to you?"

"No!"

"Waited until I wasn't nearly as awkward and picked on?"

"Of course not!"

"What then?!"

"I tried getting to know you when I thought I was ready. When I thought _we_ were ready."

They sat in silence for a moment longer.

"Why now?" she asked.

"What?"

"Why now? Why tell me this now? You could have told me anytime now or later or never. so why now?"

"Well I mean..." he scratched the back of his neck, "I thought that- it's just- I mean-"

"WHY Cornelius?" she said stricter.

"Because I realized recently that I _do_ love you. And I wanted to ask you to marry me. But I didn't want you to marry a man who you didn't know."


	3. Chapter 3

"Did you tell her?" Carl said in his nosey robot way as he saw Cornelius walk up into his observatory/office

"Yes, Carl, I told her." he said plainly

"How'd it go?"

"How do you think?" he said plopping onto his rolly chair.

"Judging by your tone I'm going to guess not so well."

"You think?"

"Did you blow it?"

"I don't know Carl"

"Is she gone forever?"

"I don't know!" getting agitated

"What happened?"

"After I told her, she said she needed time to process. I tried talking to her more but she said she needs space."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"How should I know?!"

*DING DONG*

"Who's that?" Carl asked.

"Maybe dad ordered pizza?" he hoped for a moment that it was Franny but he knew it was just wishful thinking. He turned to start sketching and writing math equations until he faintly heard his mother say,

"BUD, FRANNY'S HERE!"

"Franny?" Carl said to Cornelius

Cornelius put down his pencil and wheeled his chair around to leave his desk.

"So when she said she needed space-" Carl started

"Not now Carl!" Cornelius said as he rushed down the stairs. Once he got to the ground floor he could now hear their conversation as he quietly approached the front of the house.

"About the time travel thing." he heard Franny clarify to his parents.

 _This is bad. If she tells them I went to the future, who knows how much things could change!_

He thought as he picked up his pace.

"Ooo Cornelius started working on time travel has he? Good for him!" Bud said.

"No not that, about how he-" franny started.

"Franny! You're here!" Cornelius said showmanship like walking in.

"Ya I came by to talk to you about the future thing that-" she was cut off once again, now looking slightly irritated.

"I've been working on. yes, great! You can help me with that upstairs."

"Help you with wh-" she said confused.

"Thanks mom, dad for getting the door for me!"

"No problem son!" Bud yelled out to his son who was already upstairs.

"What was that about?" Franny said putting her hands on her hips

"I haven't told them yet."

"What?!"

"I haven't told anyone because I've been too afraid of changing things. I liked my future too much to risk effecting it."

"But you told me?" she said raising an eyebrow.

"Despite my best efforts!" Carl said.

"Nobody asked you!" Cornelius added.

"I told him it was a danger to the timeline!" Carl said in a 'i told you so' kinda way

"and I told _you_ that Franny's different and deserved to know!" he said nearly yelling at Carl and forgetting Franny was there for a moment.

"Different, huh? Now I feel like I've gotten special treatment." she said flirtatiously.

"Well I mean- it's not that- I mean you are- special- er- different- good- that's not- ok- wait. why- what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I was thinking about it and I realized that if nothing is definitely going to happen then you could've changed your future anytime! Which means you didnt have to date me at all. If you didnt want to then you didnt have to, your future would change and that'd be that. But you stuck with it anyway... why?"

"I meant it when I said, I fell in love with you... I _am_ in love with you Franny... and our family." he said putting his hand on hers.

"I thought you were going to say all that! But had to be sure. Now about this family of ours, I have a few questions that I-"

"wait... so you're not going to break up with me?"

"Of course not! You're still my Cornelius! My stupid Cornelius that thought I couldn't handle some little time travel information. Now go on, how many kids do we have in the future? What are their names? What are they like? How old are they?"

"Woa woa woa there. I can't spoil everything for you!"

"Oh come on why are you the only one who gets to know these things? Can't you just tell me a little? It's my future too you know. I'd like to know the kids I'm going to carry inside me for 9 months!"

"Ok fine I'll tell you our son's name. Wilbur."

"Wilbur? oh oh like your best friend Wilbur? We name our son after your friend?"

"... didn't I mention that our son likes to time travel a lot? I mean, since I was 12, he's never stopped, he just kept coming back"

"... you're not saying that your best friend is our-" she asked as he smiled, "WILBUR IS OUR SON?!"

"That's what I just said isn't it?"

"You mean I've eaten dinner with our son and didn't know it?!"


End file.
